Alamogordo City Commission forms housing advisory board

The city has moved forward with plans to form a five-member housing advisory board.

The city commission passed the ordinance for first publication last week, meaning it will have to pass once again in order for it to become law.

City records show the board will consist of five members, one with experience in residential construction, one who lives in one of the city's low rent housing programs, and one with experience in mortgage lending.

The mayor of Alamogordo will also be a member of the board, as will the city's housing manager who oversees the housing program, records show.

Presently, the housing authority board consists of members of the city commission and one resident of the housing authority.

Reasons for creating the advisory board include the irregularity of the current board's meetings.

The commission briefly considered creating a "quasi-independent" housing authority that would have been largely outside of city control, but eventually decided to go a different direction and create the advisory board.

The board will only be able to recommend action to the city commission for items such as property acquisition, the final decision resting in the hands of the city commission, records show.

City Attorney Stephen Thies said the board would also hear grievances from housing residents and conduct studies.

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A position on the board will be unpaid except for travel compensation and other expenses, records show.

Thies said the board could come into effect in July.

Contact John Bear at jbear@alamogordonews.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnbearwithme